Expressing Transparency

Air New Zealand has recently launched a new campaign in oder to highlight the company's policy of transparency. Whereas other airlines have increasingly been adding hidden charges in order to supplement constantly falling revenue, Air New Zealand believes that they have nothing to hide.

The campaign, which includes print and a 45 second TVC, as well as a re-made safety video, have already brought Air New Zealand a lot of attention. The campaign features the Air New Zealand staff carrying out their daily duties in uniforms that has been painted on using body-paint. The usually boring safety instruction video, called the "Bare Essentials of Safety" are also given by employees who are nude except for body paint and strategically placed seat belts and can be viewed on YouTube.

The commercial, "Nothing to Hide" has already been viewed over 2 million times on YouTube since the 6th of May, when it was originally uploaded.

Via - New York Times

Micro-financing via Cellular Phones

Entrepreneurs in developing countries have had difficulty bridging the technological divide between their countries and the technologically advanced western world. Innovative attempts to catalyse development in poor countries through the use of computers; in initiatives such as Kiva and C4 world have failed. These initiatives are aimed at bridging the gap between Western and African entrepreneurs by offering mentorship and micro-financing via websites.

There are more budding entrepreneurs with cell phones compared to those with computers. Mobile Movement has introduced a mobile phone solution that will enable entrepreneurs in developing countries to gain access to micro finance and mentoring from western donors by using their cellular phones.

The process works as follows: potential financiers and mentors view the profiles of entrepreneurs and business ideas from developing countries through a central secure website. The financiers can place a comment and the system then sends that message directly to the entrepreneur’s cell phone. When the entrepreneur replies, the system notifies the interested financier. The final steps are done entirely via cell phone, the financier can transfer money to fund the entrepreneur via paypal and continue mentoring them via sms. The system is a solid attempt in establishing a stronger relationship between businessmen in the western and developing countries. Lets all hope the criminal element, which is a virus for development, does not spoil the party.

Via: springwise.com

JetBlue's Innovative Launch

In a bid to build buzz for its new routes from New York's JFK and Boston's Logan International to LAX, JetBlue airline is counting on a stream of tweets and videos produced by a host of YouTube "stars".

The airline has used a plane complete with wireless internet access in order to facilitate constant streaming for the JFK-to-LAX flight.

All of the content producers received a free flight but most received no other monetary compensation. A few were paid by Howcast to produce how-to videos featuring JetBlue. The airline requested that all the bloggers to disclose the relationship in whatever videos they produce and to keep them "family-friendly."

The experimental campaign was supported with billboard and radio to support the online content.

Via - AdAge

Solar Supecar

Swedish supercar marque Koenigsegg has joined forces with NLV Solar AG, a company specialising in the accumulation of solar energy to produce the first solar powered supercar.

The companies have agreed to create a test vehicle with a new and unique propulsion system which enhances solar power combined with an energy accumulator unit. The car, named Quant, will feature a thin solcar-cell film, giving it a striking new look which should attract a lot of attention when it's unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Salon.


According to Koenigsegg: "The projected curb weight of 1780 kg is very light considering that it is a battery-powered, four-seater, luxury performance car. This is partly due to the two-motor installation which weighs in at only 140 kg – a remarkable achievement considering the power output of 512 hp and maximum torque of 715 nm which allows the Quant to deliver 0–100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 275 km/h."

Truly impressive specs from a marquee known for truly impressive super cars.

Via - Koenigsegg

Your Perfect VW Via Twitter

VW recently launched an initiative aimed at helping Twitterers everywhere find their perfect Volswagen.

VW set up a rich media banner which invites users to submit their Twitter profile name, which is analysed by the system and returns with a recommendation of the perfect VW according to your charateristics.

It's a great example of a brand integrating itself into new consumer environments in a non-obtrusive yet simple way.

Via - Adverblog

Pep's Pep Talk Goes Viral

It'd seem that the secret behind FC Barcelona's recent Champions League triumph over Manchester United is out, and has gone viral in a very short period of time.

Barcelona's young and enigmatic coach Pep Guardiola enlisted the help of The National Catalonian TV to edit a video which was shown to Barcelona players prior to kick-off as a new and unusual form of motivation. The clip highlighted the best of Barcelona's 08/09 Season which was mixed with scene's from the blockbuster hit Gladiator.

According to Viralblog, the clip has now gone viral and has amassed over a million views on YouTube within 4 days of it's YouTube debut. It's an amazing example of the power of internal branding and demonstrates that when everyone within your organisation pulls together for a common purpose, the eventual success and word-of-mouth for your brand yields a far higher return on your initial investment.

Via - ViralBlog

Pay As You Want Advertising Agency

With the recent global recesion, businesses have had to adopt strategies that will enable them to survive this economic downturn. One of the uncharacteristic business behaviors as a result of the recession is businesses are adopting pay-as-you-want schemes. Magazines, restaurants and hotels have led the way, now an advertising agency in the U.K is offering its clients a payment option that allows them to pay what they think the work is worth.

The briefing process begins when client submits a work request form with Agency Nil. Using temporary, freelance staff and recent graduates, the agency gets the work done by the deadline requested. It's then up to the client to decide how much the work is worth. There are standard costs that are agreed on before work commences these include: travel, proprietary research tools and production.

Lebber the co founder of the advertising agency states “The system has been terribly lopsided for a while now, and I hope this can be the start of a breaking point in the industry on some level. It won't depress the market—the price will still come up and down, and work will get done just the same. Except now, it won't be based on a set amount of hours to fill or stay under, and work can get done for work's sake. For quality's sake. For the client's sake."

Via: agencynil.com

Dr Pepper Speaks A New Language

Dr Pepper, a distinctly American brand, has reached out to the youthful Hispanic market with their latest initiative.

Vida23 (meaning living one's life to the 23 flavours found in Dr Pepper) includes three main components. The first and biggest of the efforts involves a gigantic tractor-trailer that serves as the roving home for "Club23" - a Dr Pepper-themed mobile dance club and gaming center.

On the campaign site, users can download an exclusive song written specifically for the campaign and add their own flavour to it by remixing the track. Information for when and where the Vida23 mobile dance club/gaming centre will feature can also be found on the site.

With Dr Pepper expecting to spend between $15 million and $18 million on Hispanic advertising this year, the bold initiative should go some way to ensure that this important and increasingly confident target market adopts the brand within their core brand repertoire.

Via - Hispanic Marketing Weekly

Retail Dramatised

Furniture shopping is usually not a dramatic experience. One usually decides on the budget, shops around until you find the right item and then begrudgingly hand over the cash in exchange for your item - a myth IKEA London aims to dispel with their latest initiative called Flat Pack - The Opera.

The guerrilla campaign features an opera show performed in front of an unsuspecting audience for four nights only. The show takes advantage of ready-made Ikea sets to represent different areas of domestic life, while a guide helps the audience navigate from one scene to another. Customers can also take advantage of a special "opera meal deal" served in-store.

The interesting initiative should give the retailer a lot of worldwide PR which would serve to further highlight the brand's innovative spirit.

Via - Flat Pack

Bad Times Boot Camp For Retrenched Professionals

The American economy contracted at a surprisingly sharp 6.1 percent rate in the first quarter as exports and business inventories plummeted. Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the current global recession will "surely be the longest and deepest" since the 1930s.The global recession has resulted in more than one million job losses in the U.S.

An American personal trainer Alex Light has created free boot camp classes for retrenched professionals. The concept aims to help unemployed people get fit and boost morale during the hard times. Light himself a victim of the recession states “the training is held 3 times-a-week, we aim to get fit and meet new people. With hard work and dedication together we will find the solutions to our individual problems.”

Light now hopes to spread the concept across the globe, pursuing sponsorships in order to keep the classes free and become self employed. Light hopes that when the recession ends the people will get employment and continue training as paying customers.

via:Badtimesbootcamp.com

Shop On Skype

A recently launched online shopping experiences, called Trunk Club, is about to change the way many men feel about clothes shopping.

The Trunk Club gives men their own live personal shopping assistant via Skype video sessions who try to figure out what kind of clothes they wear, what is lacking in their wardrobe, and what kind of clothes they might be willing to try.

Thereafter, the assistants assemble about nine different pieces of apparel which is couriered to the customer. Once the customer gets his selection, another Skype session is set up with the personal assistant. The customer only pays for what he decides to buy is made, with the rest returned to Trunk Club.

Via - Tech Crunch

GM Re:Invention

General Motors hasn't wasted anytime in repairing it's tarnished image shortly after filing for bankruptcy, aimed at explaining the "New GM" to the American public, highlighting the brand's new promise for more transparency amid their recent troubles.

Whilst the new campaign wasn't scheduled to launch until later this week, the automaker has already posted the 60-second spot online, including on YouTube and Facebook, a few hours after their filing for bankruptcy.

With promises of fewer, stronger brands featuring newer and greener technology, it would seem that GM is serious about this reinvention of the brand.

At the end of the spot, consumers are driven to a new website, which includes GM's FastLane blog. According to some of the posts on the blog, a key part of the new GM is transparency with consumers. In support of this new value, various GM leaders will host a series of live web chats, with the first breaking on the 4th June.

Via - AdAge

Lexus Shows You How To Live A Little

Lexus USA has recently launched the new IS Convertible. Apart from the campaign microsite, which is highly interactive with a lot of interesting content highlighting all of the new car's advancements, the Japanese marquee has also combined online with a lifestyle publication called Urban Daddy - dedicated to "everything you need to know" - in order to fully deliver on the brand's promise to let owners "Live a Little".

The Urban Daddy portal equally interactive and allows users a high level of personalisation, allowing users to find exactly the right solution according to their own entertainment needs.


Once you have chosen your city and what you're looking to do and with whom you'll be partaking in the activities, the site offers various suggestions on where you can go and how to get there.

There's also an iPhone version of the site, allowing those interested to access entertainment and lifestyle information on the go.

Via - Lexus/Live a Little